Human services programs and public benefits can be difficult for families to navigate because they have complex eligibility rules and administrative processes that differ across the state and local agencies that administer them. Agencies know that cross-agency coordination can help address these challenges, but resources about coordinating and integrating benefits and programs are often narrowly targeted to specific programs and coordination efforts or written in highly technical ways that can be hard to understand.

That’s why the Urban Institute, along with partners MEF Associates and the Adjacent Possible, developed a toolkit that compiles resources and strategies state and local human services agencies can use to better coordinate and integrate programs. Part of the Supporting Coordinated Benefits Delivery to Foster Whole-Family Approaches project, the toolkit helps agencies improve experiences for families seeking or receiving services and benefits from multiple public programs.

As part of the project, the team piloted the toolkit with seven state and local human services agencies over nine months, working with them to develop and refine the content to meet their needs. We also gave the agencies hands-on coaching and technical assistance with coordinating and integrating programs. The pilot agencies’ experiences, documented in our final report, illustrate how the resources and strategies in the toolkit can help other agencies make progress on short timelines and respond to changing federal policy.

Learn More

• Toolkit
• Facilitator Guide and Supporting Resources
• Final report: Supporting Coordinated Benefits Delivery to Foster Whole-Family Approaches: Developing and Piloting a Toolkit for State and Local Agencies
• Blog post: How Can State and Local Human Services Agencies Improve Program Coordination in Today’s Federal Policy Landscape?
• Webinar: How Can Human Services Agencies Coordinate and Integrate Their Services?